Pharmacology

Drug Discovery — Even When You Win, You Still Can Lose

It would be almost impossible to find a better example of the difficulties that face the pharmaceutical industry than the campaign against hepatitis C. Unfortunately, this example is now at the expense of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a small, but top-notch dru ...

Article - Josh Bloom - Feb 15 2014 - 10:45am

There Is No Pandemic Of Chemicals Causing Brain Disorders In Children

Last week, an article appeared in The Lancet Neurology (doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3) which reviewed studies and asserted that there is a "pandemic" of developmental toxicity. This led to a press release and a variety of stories in the media ...

Article - Laura Plunkett - Feb 18 2014 - 10:18am

Zombie Panic: Ecstasy Adulteration, Face Eating, And PMMA Deaths

Ecstasy, marijuana (including synthetic cannabinoids sold as ‘Spice’ and ‘Incense’) and various psychoactive ‘legal highs’ have surged in popularity and Canada has become a major criminal hub for ecstasy.  Recent deaths have been linked to paramethoxymeth ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 18 2014 - 11:21am

Adding Bevacizumab To Initial Glioblastoma Treatment Doesn't Improve Overall Survival

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant adult brain tumor and, despite treatment advances in recent years, the average survival of patients enrolled in clinical trials is less than 16 months. Few patients live beyond five years. Glioblastoma tum ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 4 2014 - 12:50pm

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy Linked To ADD In Kids

If you were pregnant, did you ever take a Tylenol? If not, you have unreal levels of tolerance for discomfort but if you did, and you think your child is hyperactive, a new study may have some answers. Not 'why' answers, just a 'perhaps' ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 24 2014 - 4:00pm

Anti-Depressants: Psychological Side-Effects Are Even Worse Than Thought

In America, after a startling homicide occurs, there is a lot of talk about society and guns and violence culture and what we should ban, everything from guns to video games. Much less discussed, because we don't want to demonize mental illness, is t ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 27 2014 - 11:38pm

Stop Taking Ecstasy, You Dummies

Canada has gotten a bizarre sort of entrepreneurial in the last decade. With Toronto mayor Rob Ford making headlines and a booming ecstasy industry, they have become a party destination.  And that success has led to even newer designer highs which are flo ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 27 2014 - 6:26pm

Is The FDA Really Sexist?

On face value, if you read Anita Clayton's Huffington Post piece entitled  “The FDA, Sexual Dysfunction and Gender Inequality,” you could not come to any conclusion other that the FDA is overtly sexist. ...

Article - Josh Bloom - Feb 27 2014 - 11:50pm

Oxadiazoles: New Class Of Antibiotics Discovered

A team of researchers led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery have discovered a new class of antibiotics to fight bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health.  ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 7 2014 - 4:43pm

Oxytocin As A New Treatment For Anorexia?

While there's no genetic basis for anorexia nervosa, psychiatrists say there may be a chemical treatment- oxytocin, the 'love hormone'.   ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 12 2014 - 11:16pm